AN ANXIOUS TIME FOR SCHIPPANG UNTIL VIKES CALLED PRO FOOTBALL

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive tackle who captained West Chester State last fall spent the bulk of the day sitting by his phone anticipating a call from any team in the National Football League.

Schippang, who starred for Bethlehem Liberty, had more anxious moments than a girl who had not yet been asked to the prom.

"I was expecting to go in the fourth or fifth rounds based on what my agent had told me," Schippang said. "So, I watched the draft on ESPN until it went off the air at 4 p.m. Then I just sat by the phone. A lot of my friends called to see what happened thinking it would have been over by then. I had to cut them off fast."

The big call finally came at 9:30 p.m., from Minnesota, one of the two NFL locales Schippang had at the bottom of his prefered list.

"I was hoping warm weather, San Diego, Los Angeles or one of the Florida teams," he kidded. "The last places I wanted to go were Minnesota and Buffalo. But, this may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The main thing is I did get a call and itwas a relief. The fact that I went on the eighth round (the 206th pick overall) doesn't really matter. The main thing is I will have a chance to earn a roster spot. That's all I ask."

The Vikings had excellent success with their last selection from West Chester, an All-Pro tight end by the name of Joe Senser, who was a sixth pick in 1979.

"That might have figured in to their selection," Schippang admitted. "After all, at that point they are taking a chance. Taking players from Division II or III is a gamble because of the level of competition. They had luck from our school before. Why not again?"

Schippang might prove to be one of the real surprises of the NFL grab bag based on a medical history that reads like something out of a med school textbook. Readers with weak stomachs may want to skip the next few paragraphs.

"Maryland and N.C. were after me during my junior year," Schippang recalled. "The first week of summer camp I tore ligaments in my left knee. I was out 7 weeks and missed half the year. The big schools shied away. I picked West Chester because I liked the environment and coaching staff. My line coach (Rick Daniels) taught me a lot. He has been the biggest influence on my career, but, the level of competition we faced was a drawback. I never had to depend on my technique because I was the biggest player out there. I just overpowered people.

"Last spring I tore up my right knee and rehabbed all summer. I wore a brace all season. I fractured my left wrist twice and wound up wearing a cast all summer. And, I tore the tendon in my right ring finger and missed a week and a half of summer camp. It was not a good season."

Schippang had shown enough as a junior to earn an invitation to New Orleans for an intense three-day probe by the NFL scouts.

"The NFL paid for everything. The first day we had dinner and a long meeting. The next day we had complete physicals. Every team doctor poked and probed for 12 hours. There were X-Rays, blood and urine tests, they checked your heart and eyes. You name it. The following day we went to the Superdome and were tested on agility strength, running and position drills. They filmed our blocking and trapping drills. It was pretty extensive."

The NFL also tested the players for intelligence and personality.

"I never thought I'd have to go through that," Schippang said. "We were given tests similar to the SATs. They wanted to see if we were coachable and had the personality to be worked with."

"I will be attending a mini-camp May 14-15-16. We will walk through stuff to learn the system. Summer camp doesn't start until July 25th, which is the latest in the NFL. I was surprised to hear that. Bud Grant started it and Jerry Burns, the new head coach, will continue it.

"The Vikings may be a blessing. With the new coach there's a new system. The veterans and rookies will be starting from the same spot. No one will have an advantage. And, I was the only offensive lineman they selected. I'm eager to get started."

Bob Williams of Penn State, via Notre Dame High School, was another area player to answer the NFL roll call on Tuesday. The 6-foot-3 1/2 tight end was picked on the seventh round by the Buffalo Bills. He said his stock rose dramatically at the New Orleans scouting combine.

"I was told my best chance might have been as a free agent," said Williams, who caught just three passes (two for TDs) this past season.

"Playing for a quality program like Penn State helped and I had a strong combine. There were 22 other tight ends there and I wound up being the fourth or fifth picked in the draft.

"I am grateful to be picked," theformer N.D. quarterback said. "When you get to this level you can't be fussy about who takes you. I leave next Thursday for a mini-camp and the Bills will keep me around for three weeks. They have said there's a good chance I could be their tight end so they want to work me in thoroughly."

Williams was a linebacker for two years with the Lions before switching back to TE.

"I caught a TD against Maryland in the opener," he said. "That was my only play of the game. As the year went on I was worked in more and they ran my side a lot because of my blocking."

Williams, who is visiting his family in Easton at the moment, is convinced the New Orleans' ordeal boosted his value.

"They really checked us over with a fine tooth comb," he admitted. "They test you for flexibility. They also had the SAT aptitude type tests to see how smart you are and what kind of common sense you possess. On the field we ran 40s, did vertical jumps, long jumps, shuttle runs, cone drills and patterns for three hours."

Williams passed with flying colors and was rewarded with a 7:30 p.m. call from Buffalo.

"I hung around my apartment and every time the phone ran I wondered if that would be the call," he said. "I'm glad it came. I have the chance now. That's all I can ask for."